The Forgotten and Forsaken
by Sacred-Amaranth
Summary: In 2023 a new dark witch Viper has risen to power, stronger than Voldemort ever was. She travels to 1996 to gain a new strength. To save the world, Phoenix must follow her, facing her own painful past as the forgotten one. ADMM centered and heavily based.
1. Chapter 1

2023

It was a cold, dark night. Rain pouring down everywhere, thunder and lightning booming up above. It was a night everyone would opt to stay home. Everyone except for two people, that is.

Two figures, a man and a woman raced down the alley, chasing a cloaked figure a few feet ahead of them.

"She moves as though the very whips of her master was right behind her!" exclaimed the man as he panted, trying to ignore the burning exhaustion he was feeling and the overwhelming urge to stop running.

The other woman shook her head, fierce determination in her eyes. "The only master she has is the greed and lust for power consuming her. Quickly, we're nearly there!" she said as they turned a corner. She smirked as she realized that they were now over a cliff and they had the cloaked figure trapped.

The man grinned. "Alright, Viper. It's been fun, chasing you around but come on. It's over. Just do as we say and everything will be fine." He drew his wand pointing it at her.

The woman drew out her dagger, aiming it at the cloak figure. "It's over Viper. You can do it the hard way or the easy way."

The cloaked figure let out a gurgle of laughter. "It isn't over until I say its over. See you in hell, bitch!" She pulled out a small marble from within her robes and through it at the other two, blasting them to the ground, creating smoke, making it even more difficult to see.

The man and the woman slammed into the ground hard but recovered fast enough to see the cloaked woman raise her arms high into the air and cry out:

"_Lord of thunder hear my cry,_

_Spirits from the other side,_

_Unite now with the gods of fire_

_Bend the sands of time to my hearts desire!"_

A bolt of lightning struck her as she dove off the cliff, vanishing with a brilliant white flash before hitting the ocean.

"No!" the woman cried out in frustration as she ran towards the edge of the cliff in an attempt to dive after her. The other man grabbed her before she could make the dive, calming her down.

"We were so close! Just a few more inches and we would have had her!" she wailed unto the man's shoulder.

"Shh, it's alright. Calm, down. It's all right. We'll get her soon." He patted her back soothingly. A slight beeping from within his robes broke them apart.

Reaching into his pocket, the man opened up what looked like nothing more then a rock but was in fact a wizarding cell phone like device. Flicking his finger, the rock opened up a small hologram of a man hovering a few inches above it.

"Captain, Viper got away. She chanted some sort of spell and dove off the cliff." The man informed his Captain breathlessly.

"I figured as much. The Monastery has just finished searching around for what Viper stole. It turns out she's taken an interest to jewelry."

"Jewelry?" the man repeated confusedly. "Since when did Viper take trips down to the Monastery just to get an accessory?"

"She doesn't. It's not just any piece of jewelry. It's the last surviving piece of the falcon claw."

"Why would Viper risk her neck just to get the blood orb? She's not the time of girl who adorns herself with gems. Nor is she a bounty hunter. Last I looked she was perfectly content with being an assassin."

The Captain sighed. "I can't say for sure, Strider. It makes as much sense to me as to you. I mean, Viper of all people should know that the blood orb is completely worthless without the other three, all of which are destroyed, and have been for 25 years or so."

That's when it all clicked to the woman. She turned to the two men in front of her, eyes wide and bright. " The spell Viper cast before she jumped off the cliff. It said 'bend the sands of time to my hearts desire' Viper has to be traveling back in time to retrieve the orbs!"

The two men looked at each other with fear and nervousness in their eyes.

"No, she wouldn't be that reckless. The orbs were destroyed just a year or so after she was born. Viper wouldn't risk going back in time that far. Not when she can erase her existence." Rationalized the Captain in an effort to convince himself that the most wanted assassin had her limits as well.

"Captain, I think Phoenix is right. I mean, why else would Viper steal the orb and travel back in time. It's the only logical solution."

"We have to follow her! Who knows what havoc she could unleash wandering around the past!" cried Phoenix

"Who knows what havoc _we_ could do wandering around the past!"

"What have we got to lose, Captain? The future is already bleak enough as it is! Voldemort is as powerful as ever! At least by going back in time we could stop Viper and maybe even aid the Order in their attempt to bring him down!"

The Captain glanced at the two back in forth, noting the same fierce determination in their eyes. Arguing would be completely worthless. "Alright." He said defeated. "I'll get the others together and we'll reopen Viper's portal. With any luck you'll be able to follow her exact path and land in the same era she's in."

"Thanks Captain!" the two grinned.

"But I'm warning you now though. The target time you shall arrive is one deeply entwined with your lives. I'm almost certain you will run into familiar faces and you shall work along side them, for you cannot find Viper alone. Take caution when speaking to them. Do not reveal more than necessary and do not deliberately change any events.

Do I make myself clear?"

Strider shook his head firmly. "Of course, Captain."

Phoenix kept her gaze away from her Captain's for a moment, deep in thought.

"Phoenix, do you understand what I am telling you? Changing the smallest detail could alter the entire future. And not in the positive way we're aiming for. Do I make myself clear?"

Phoenix raised her eyes to her Captain's once more, her expression firm and determined. "Don't worry, Captain. As far as I'm concerned, the people I shall come across in the past mean nothing to me."


	2. Chapter 2

~Chapter 2~

1996

It was cold windy night, calm and quiet as could be. To the muggles in the surrounding area it was a perfectly normal, though particularly lovely, evening. But to the witches and wizards assembled in Grimmauld Place, it was merely the deep breath before the plunge, the dark forces surrounding them growing stronger and more powerful day-by-day. Not just with Voldemort. Oh no. If anything, he was taking the back seat these days. No, the Ministry of Magic and all other witches and wizard's growing fear was that of a new force: A witch who seemed to have appeared from nowhere, with no allegiances to good or bad. That was probably what terrified and attracted them the most. An amazingly powerful witch, who would be an incredible asset to either side, yet played on her own part of the battlefield completely for herself. It was this mysterious witch who was the focus on the Order's mind this night.

"How? How could she break into Durmstrang? It is completely unheard of!" exclaimed a baffled Mad-Eye Moody, pacing around the room, occasionally glancing at Professor Dumbledore for answers.

"The strongest protection spells known were placed upon Durmstrang. Not to mention all the aurors assigned there. Perhaps it wasn't the witch. It could have been Voldemort. It seems something he would have done." Suggested Arthur Weasley hopefully. He, like all the others in the room desperately tried to convince themselves that it was the dark lord's doing. Not the witch that no one knew nothing about.

"No. It had to be her. It couldn't have been Voldemort. The dark mark was no present and the assassinated victim's causes of death do not match the victims of Voldemort and his followers. Voldemort prefers a quick, clean death. Occasionally with a cruciatus curse, depending on his mood or victim, but that's it. He goes no further. The Durmstrang victims all had slow, agonizingly painful deaths. Almost as though it was done by an expert. Whoever this witch is, she knows the best ways to kill someone and appears to enjoy it." Kingsley conjured a few photos of the crime scene and the victims. Sure enough, all victims had clearly suffered till their last places. Some had limbs scattered everywhere, their faces mutilated beyond recognition, at least, those who still had faces.

"She's also quite the expert at breaking into buildings. She managed to lift all protection charms long enough to slip in through a window. She knew exactly where the spells would be the weakest and even managed to place stronger wards around the castle to prevent reinforcements from coming in. This is not a witch we should cast off to the side so lightly. Our focus should be learning her identity and gathering all the information we can about her. Added Minerva, from her usual place by Albus' side.

"What did she steal?" asked Mundungus, his curiousity at a peak.

"We're not sure yet. The other aurors and the Durmstrang headmaster are still trying to figure it all out." Tonks replied.

"And you're positive she isn't one of Voldemort's followers?" asked Hermione from the corner of the room, where she sat with the other teenagers.

Snape rolled his eyes. "Are you deaf or just thick, Granger? I've just said this not five minutes ago." He turned to the adult members of the Order. "This is what happens when you allow children to be part of the Order." He smirked as he noticed the four teens glaring at him.

Minerva glared at Severus venomously while Albus placed a hand on her leg underneath the table, calming her down, proceeding to answer Hermione's question. "Yes, . Voldemort is just as baffled at this new witch's appearance as we are, although he is quite impressed by the tasks she has accomplished in the two weeks since her first appearance. I am quite sure that in the event he does come across her, he will make her an offer she will more than likely not refuse, which makes it even more imperative that we find her before he does.

Remus conjured a map of the U.K. on the blackboard in front of them. "From what we've gathered so far, this mysterious witch has a liking for hard liquor late at night." He filled in dots of popular pubs and bars.

"Well who wouldn't want a nice drink after murdering a mass of people?" said Mundungus jokingly, recoiling when all pairs of eyes in the room glared at him.

"I say we all spend our evenings canvassing these bars and the neighborhoods around it. Someone may have spotted her or know something about her." Suggested Remus.

"Haven't they seen a picture of her yet? I mean, wouldn't the Prophet have a added a photo of her to the Break-In article?" asked Harry.

"The Ministry wouldn't dare allow news of the break-in to leak to the public. Not when Voldemort's gaining power. It would cause to much of a panic. Why, they haven't even reported the mini break-ins she's done in the Ministry. The public doesn't even know the mysterious witch exists." Stated Kingsley

Harry gaped and was about to say something quite nasty about the Ministry when Remus cut him off.

"It could be quite advantageous on our side. Knowing that no one knows of her existence, the witch won't feel the need to disguise herself, opening many possibilities of answers for us."

The clock chimed three times signaling that it was now ten o'clock. Dumbledore stood and raised his hands and all side chatter ceased. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I think we'll close the meeting here. Now, the pubs where her presence has been detected the most have been 'The Three Broomsticks' and 'The Leaky Cauldron'. We shall all take shifts canvassing. With any luck, we'll at least be able to find out a name." After deciding that it will be Tonks, Moody, Arthur, and Mundungus in charge of canvassing for that evening, the Order called it a night and went their separate ways.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

While the threat of the mysterious witch lingered heavily on the rest of the Order's mind, two members at Hogwarts had it pushed to the back of their mind, for they had more pressing matters occupying their minds for the time being.

"I can't believe this is finally happening. After all those years of trying, and all those potions and spells…." Said Minerva as she sat on the bed with her back resting against the headboard, lost in thought.

Albus changed into his nightwear and slipped under the covers next to her, laying on his side so he could look straight into her eyes. He reached for her hand and brought it up to his mouth, kissing it gently. "It is a bit unexpected but to be honest my dear, I'm couldn't be more thrilled that this happened."

"Albus, if it were any other time but now, I would be ecstatic. But Voldemort is growing stronger than ever and we've got the threat of this new witch hanging over our heads. The timing just couldn't be any worse." Minerva tore her gaze away from Albus and focused on her hands folded delicately on her lap.

Albus sat up and cupped Minerva's face, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Minerva we tried diligently for thirty years with all sorts of potions and spells and were unsuccessful. Now, without any sort of aid and just our love, we managed to fulfill our greatest wish and desire. I think there's a reason for that, Min. Yes, the timing and circumstances aren't the best but it does not matter. Yes, it will be difficult, probably one of the hardest tasks we have ever faced, but we can do anything together. I truly believe that."

Minerva looked at him for a moment and smiled, leaning over to kiss him. "You're right, as usual, love. It's just, I'm so worried about everything, all the darkness threatening to surround us…."

Albus placed a finger on her lips, gently silencing her. "Minerva, we can't let our fear control us. That would be giving in and that's exactly what Voldemort wants." He laid a hand on her abdomen. "This child is a tiny miracle, a candle in the darkness."

Minerva covered his hand with her's. "Our little miracle." She whispered.

"Indeed." Albus declared before capturing her lips once more.

Little did they know the fate destined for their "miracle". For in the near future, they would learn that their miracle was anything but that and would reveal to be more of a curse and would be their downfall. It was only a matter of time.


	3. Chapter 3

I love the whole Dung-Moody interaction in the books so there's gonna be alot of that in this fic. Especially the next few chapters. Enjoys!

~Chapter 3~

A month of eerie silence passed, without even a whisper of the mysterious witch's presence before the Order had any luck.

Moody dragged a struggling Mundungus along the streets of Hogsmeade, into the 'Three Broomsticks', yanking him hard by the collar. "You idiot! What the hell is the matter with you? Stealing on a mission…… Lucky for you I was here to keep old Stabler from cremating you! Not that it would have been much of a loss….."

"It wasn't me! I never touched Stabler's cauldrons! 'E must've been imagining things!"

Moody rolled his eye and reached into Mundungus's robes, withdrawing three golden cauldrons. He growled and whacked Dung on the head with them.

"Ow! What the-? Oh, heh heh….Wonder how those got in 'ere." Moody vanished the objects , ignoring Dung's aghast expression at the loss of his "hard work"

"Come on you fool!" he dragged Dung into the pub. "Now keep your damn mouth shut and let me do the talking!"

"Alastor Moody! It's been ages since I've last seen your face!" exclaimed Madame Rosmerta as she put down the mug she had been cleaning to greet her old friend.

"Indeed. Although I'm sure that this face wasn't the same one you've last seen." He chuckled, gesturing to the missing bits of flesh.

Dung pouted. "So you can joke about your ghastly, hideous appearance with her but not with me?"

Moody glared and raised his arm to strike him, causing Dung to recoil and immediately shut his mouth.

"Well, eitheir way, it's lovely to see you dearie. Can I get you anything?"

Moody and Dung walked across the pub to the counter. Moody's eye circle 360 degrees, ensuring that no one was listening before he proceeded, leaning closely to the witch.

"Rumour has it that there's a certain witch whose been hitting the pubs, Any new customers lately?"

Rosmerta frowned. "Alastor you know how it is in this pub. New faces everyday. Especially with the summertime and all sorts of old biddies visiting friends and family"

Moody shook his head. "The girl I'm looking for is young. Young but extremely powerful. No one sticks out in your mind?"

Rosmerta paused for a moment, hesitant to share this piece of information. "Well…..there was this one witch who stuck around for a while.. Can't have been more than 25. Very beautiful. Many lads, both young and old, had their eyes on her. Rather intimidating she was. You could practically feel the power radiating off her."

"So where is she now?"

"Haven't seen her sincecouple of weeks ago."

Moody sighed. "Anything out of the ordinary occur when she was here?"

Rosmerta looked back and forth, ensuring that no one else was listening, then lowered her voice into a softer whisper. "You know one of my bartenders Pippin Brandybuck? Nice bloke but rather dimwitted?" seeing Moody nod in recognition she continued. "Tripped over his cloak one day, spilled firewhiskey all over her top. Instead of just flicking his wand or leaving her be the poor fool yanked out his towel and started wiping up his mess, sticking his hand down her top and all. In all my years in the pub business I've never seen a more angry witch or wizard. She stood up really fast and slapped him hard across the face, whispering something in his ear before storming off."

Moody raised an eyebrow. "Can't really blame her. Having a lad stick his hand down her front….I'd box his ears myself."

Rosmerta shook her head fearfully. "That's not all. Later that evening, Pippin suddenly doubled over in pain, clutching the side of his face. I-I didn't know what to do. He kept tossing around and moaning in agony. When he finally passed out from the pain we moved his hand away from his face and, and, oh merlin, Alastor!" she began to weep at the memory. "H-His face, the side she slapped, it, it was gone!"

"What do you mean gone?"

"All flesh was gone. Only decayed, rotten bones lingered."

"Dark magic?" Moody inquired as Dung reached into his pocket, withdrawing a filthy looking handkerchief. He handed it to Rosmerta who looked absolutely revolted. Moody rolled his eye and knocked it out of Dung's grasp.

"Oi! This 'ere is a valuable heirloom! Don't you know that this belonged it Astinos the Great himself?"

"Shut up you idiot. Go on with what you were saying Rosmerta." He conjured a clean, white handkerchief.

"The healers did everything they could but they couldn't find any trace of dark magic. Or any magic for that matter. It was as though the girl herself carried acid and destroyed everything she touched."

"Did Pippin ever go to the Ministry?"

Rosmerta let out a harsh bitter laugh. "Those bastards? All they ever care about is finding You-Know-Who. Not like that's going anywhere. No, they told Pippen straight to his half-face that they had no time to settle, I quote, 'civilian disputes' and sent him out."

Moody shook his head disapprovingly. "So where's the poor chap now?"

"Locked away in his home. Mad with grief and far too ashamed to come out. Lost his mind he has."

"It's worse than I thought? Would you mind giving me the memory?"

"No trouble at all. Bit of a relief really." Rosmerta flicked her wand, withdrawing a silvery substance which Moody bottled up instantly.

"Believe you me. She'll stand out the moment you find her. You'll be able to sense her the moment you get close enough. She's not like all the other great witches and wizards. Her aura isn't a warm welcoming feeling like their's. It's a cold, dark one, but just as powerful. It'll be like encountering a blizzard in July."

Moody nodded. "What does she look like?"

"Like you said. Very beautiful. Pale, almost deathly, with long dark hair. The most noticeable feature would be her eyes though. Gorgeous blue they are. Probably a hell f a lot more prettier if it wasn;t coated with dark eyeliner. I've caught a few glimpses of her around Hogsmeade from time to time. Normally alone but occasionally with a few others. His lot mostly." She gestured to Dung.

"So she must hang around Hogs Head then?'

"Most likely."

Moody patted her on the shoulder. ":Thanks for everything Rosmerta."

"Anytime love."

Moody glanced over at Dung who was just about to grab at a witch's heavy looking money purse. He let out a growl as he grabbed him by the collar. "Come on you buffoon. We need to get to Hogs Head!"

AN: For a visual of Pippin's injury, just think of Two Face from "Dark Knight"


	4. Chapter 4

Moody made his way to the Hog's Head with a determined expression, dragging Dung with him. He was about to pull open the door when Dung stopped him.

"Er, you know what? I think I'll just wait out here. You know, be your back up." He said as he clung to a street lamp.

Moody rolled his eye and whacked him over the head. "you coward! It's only the Hog's Head. You should feel right at home over here."

" I did feel at home in Hog's Head. I think that's one of the main reasons I got banned." Dung said thoughtfully.

Moody's eye narrowed in suspician. "What did you do?"

"Well, you know how the bartender's got an obsession with goats? Well, one time I…."

Moody raised his hand, silencing Dung. "I don't want to know." He dragged Dung into the pub by the collar.

"Oi! You deaf? I just told you, I'm banned from this place! You want the bartender to roast me?"

"Just keep your damn mouth shut."

As they entered the pub, both men felt a strange, icy coldness hit them, which was very odd to experience in the middle of the summer. Shivering, they made their way to the counter over where the bartender was lingering.

"Huh. Mad-Eye Moody. Been decades since I last saw your face." Aberforth swept his eyes over Moody, scanning over him. "Alas, time has not been kind to you, my friend."

Moody grinned slightly. "It's nice to see you too, Abe."

The smile quickly turned into a scowl when Aberforth noticed the fidgeting figure beside Moody who was making a sad attempt at hiding behind him.

"What's that little git doing here? Mad-Eye, I don't know what you think you're playing at but he's not welcome here. Get out you little faggot!"

Moody stepped in between them and pulled Aberforth to the side. "Relax, Abe. He's with me. We're here on business." He explained, knowing that Aberforth understood his meaning by the slight widening of sapphire eyes. Aberforth pulled Mad-Eye into the back room.

Moody winced as the foul smell of goats overpowered his senses. "Aberforth, surely there is a more suitable place. One where I am able to breath, perhaps?"

"But none more secure and private that this. No one dares come near here."

"I wonder why." Moody replied dryly.

"Never you mind. Tell me, what news?"

"We're looking for a witch. Young, beautiful, powerful. Petite in stature, pale skin, dark hair, blue eyes. Ring any bells?"

Aberforth's eyes narrowed. "What do you want with Viper?"

"You know her?"

"'Course I do. She's a regular at the pub now. Everyone knows her. Sweet girl, very pretty. Only natural that all the lads love her. Odd sense of humor though….."

"I should think so since she cursed half a lad's face off."

"A random assault?"

"No, he spilled firewhiskey all over her front and attempted to wipe it off."

"So a reasonable attack."

Moody let out a cry of frustration. "Dammit Aberforth! This girl is a major threat! Possibly more than You-Know-Who himself! She managed to single-handedly break into Durmstrang and wipe out ALL 30 AURORS as though they were nothing more than ants!"

Aberforth opened his mouth to respond but then decided against it. He sighed and opened the door. "She's over there. The one in the dark cloak with the hood over her head."

Moody nodded and made his way over slowly as to not startle her or arouse her suspician. He halted his steps when he noticed her get up to leave. Just as she reached the door, Dung approached her.

At first, Moody was stunned at dung's brilliance of the situation and felt a slight swell of pride. The pride quickly faded, however, when he noticed how Dung was speaking to her. Almost as though he was familiar with her…….

He waited until the girl had exited, then approached dung. Taking his staff he whacked Dung as hard as he could. "You idiot! The whole Order has spent months trying to learn even a mere snippet of her identity and it turns out you know her?!?!?"

Dung rubbed his head disorientedly. "Who, Viper?"

"You even know her name!"

"I didn't know she was the girl you've been looking for! I figured she was just an assassin. You know, my kind of crowd."

Moody took a deep breath and grabbed Dung roughly by the collar. "Come on you blithering buffoon. We need to schedule an emergency meeting with the Order right this minute!"


	5. Chapter 5

~Chapter 5~

Minerva and Albus had just retired for the evening when Moody had flooed Hogwarts to inform them of new developments, vanishing all thoughts of sleep. Albus had scheduled an emergency meeting with the rest of the Order and the couple was now in the process of getting ready. This proved to be quite a difficult task for Minerva. She was pushing past the third month in her pregnancy and her bump was becoming quite obvious. Not to mention the fact that all concealing spells she had tried to cast had no effect whatsoever.

She walked across the room to the front of the mirror, smiling serenely at her reflection. True, the swell of her abdomen did get in the way sometimes, especially since she was used to being petite all her life but she honestly did not mind. For over thirty years she and Albus had tried every potion and spell imaginable in an effort to beget a child, all unsuccessfully. Now, when they had finally given up on ever having a little one, did they finally get lucky was truly a blessing. She smiled when she felt Albus enter the room and wrap his arms around her waist, resting his hands on her abdomen.

"Is everything alright, my love? He asked, kissing the side of her neck.

Minerva sighed and smiled. "Well, I'm having a bit of a problem getting dressed." And she informed him of how concealing spells weren't having any effect on her.

Albus smiled. "Perhaps our little one doesn't want to be kept in the shadows. He or she wants to let the world know that an amazing witch like you is its mother."

Minerva rolled her eyes and smiled. "Flatterer." She kissed him gently. "Well, I suppose darker robes shall have to suffice. We were planning on telling the Order about our upcoming arrival soon anyway, correct?" The two had informed the Order about a month ago of their matrimonial state but had decided to wait a bit more before informing them of their child.

Albus nodded. "Indeed. I already had the pleasure of introducing you as my beloved 'Mrs. Dumbledore and I am eagerly awaiting to introduce the most beautiful and wonderful mother-to-be." He kissed her once more, furtherly delaying the process of getting dressed.


	6. Chapter 6

~Chapter 6~

Within the hour, the rest of the Order had arrived looking wide awake and not as though they had just been roused from a peaceful sleep. All of them sat in Albus' office, eagerly waiting to hear of the new developments. The chairs were arranged in a circle around the room with Moody standing in the corner and Albus and Minerva seated behind his desk.

Despite her darker robes, her bump was still quite visible. Luckily, she received nothing more than a few curious glances from Molly Weasley. The others were much too absorbed in their curiosity to pay much attention to Minerva's waistline. Once everyone was seated and settled, Albus rapped his knuckles on his desk, commanding their attention.

"Thank you, thank you everyone for coming. I realize that it is 3 am and many of you have work in a few hours but I can assure you that this meeting is of great importance and the information is vital. Alastor, if you will." Albus said, gesturing to Moody to begin.

Moody nodded. "After a long month of nothing but whispers and murmurs here and there of an unknown witch, we have finally struck gold! We now know her name, her areas and her appearance! Dung and I have even had to pleasure of encountering her."

"Is she as gorgeous as they all say?" asked a genuinely curious Ron, earning in deathly glares from his mother, sister, and Hermione.

"You know it! She's like a dark veela Viper is!" grinned Dung.

Kingsley leaned forward in his chair eagerly, even more alert. "Viper? Young witch. Dark hair, blue eyes, as cold as a dementor when you get close to her?"

Moody shot him an incredulous look. "Did everyone in this room know about Viper beforehand? Merlin…" he sighed. "What do you know of her?"

Kingsley shook his head, "Not much, but our network has picked up rumors of her building an army in underground London, mostly crooks, pirates, bounty hunters, and assassins. They all seem to be answering to her beck and call. It's a miracle we even know anything of her in the first place. Tonks, do you remember the one nut case that wondered into the department a few weeks ago."

Tonks nodded with wide eyes. "Gimli Gribble. Want by the MLE for the past decade. Came in trembling and shaking like mad babbling a lot of nonsense."

"Tortured?" asked .

Both aurors shook their head. "Not that we could see. And we ran all sorts of speels on him just in case. No trace of dark magic whatsoever. He wasn't even physically injured, just….cracked. All hysterical about how he failed his 'queen' and that she was so angry and upset with him, that his 'Lady Viper' was brokenhearted at his failure."

"What else did Gimli say?" asked Dumbledore, his expression pensieve.

"Nothing. He just started bawling his eyes out so we had to restrain him and send him off to St. Mungo's. Now he's roommates with Lockhart."

Moody thought for a moment. "No dark magic, you say?"

"None whatsoever."

Moody withdrew the vial of memories in his coat, filling in the Order of what he had learned in Rosmerta's pub.

By the time all facts were shared, the Order bore diverse expressions. Some terrified, others in a mixture of awe and disgust, but all with the same confused expression as they looked to Dumbledore for guidance.

"I have no doubt that this is the witch who broke into Durmstrang, although her intentions are still unclear. But she is certainly a force more deadly than Voldemort."

" But professor, her followers are nothing more than thieves and beggars. Surely she isn't that much of a threat." Said , obviously terrified at the prospect of having another powerful, darker force to fear.

"By the way she has so easily raised her own army, I daresay its only a matter of time before other wizards of higher strength and power serve her. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Voldemort lost a few followers to her."

"So where does that leave Voldemort?" asked Harry, as he tried to process what this new witch's presence would mean for him and his prophecy.

"Ah, that's a very good question. Voldemort will, no doubt, continue his offers to induct her as his servant. However, jusging by the way Viper carries herself and from what we know, it is highly unlikely she will side with him. She would probably more inclined to see his offers as more of an insult. She will never accept the notion of taking a backseat to someone else. She is not one to share power, which is why she has enlisted the help of thieves and bandits. Loyal, and easily pacified. Small payments for a lifetime of service. A most clever and cunning plan." Pondered Albus.

'So if Voldemort and Viper were to duel, who do you suppose would win, or at least have the upper hand?" inquired Hermione.

But before Albus could answer, the floo network glowed a bright emerald green and a terrified, heavily injured Madame Maxime emerged.


	7. Chapter 7

~Chapter 7~

"Professor Dumbly-dor! Please! You must 'elp!"

"Madame Maxime, what has happened?" Albus asked as he stood and met her halfway.

"Beauxbatons 'as been attacked! Oh Dumbly-dor, thieves! Bandits! All zis rif-raf! Ze have broken into it and are destroying it!"

Albus widened his eyes in shock. He turned to instruct the Order to prepare themselves only to find that they already had their wands drawn, bearing fierce and grim expressions.

"Let's move!" Moody cried out as he led the Order into the fireplace, disappearing into the emerald flames. The four teens made to follow when pushed them back.

"Oh no you don't! Beauxbatons is far too dangerous! You are all going home this instant!"

The teens gaped an opened their mouths to protest, but before they could utter a single word, an unexpected ally stepped in. "Molly, I think they should come along. If you send them to the Burrow, they'll just attempt to sneak in, endangering themselves even more."

Molly gaped at Minerva but before she could reply the teens beat her to it.

"Come on, Mum. We could really help out. Maybe we could tend to the injured or something." Pleaded Ginny.

Molly sighed. No point in fighting a losing battle. "Oh alright. But stay where we can see you!" she called out to the racing teens.

Minerva was about to follow when she felt a warm pair of arms wrap around her waist, coming to rest on her abdomen.

"Looks like your mummy instincts are already kicking in" He kissed the side of her neck.

Minerva smiled and turned in his embrace. "I'm glad you think so. I'm quite sure Molly won't think too highly of me after this."

"Oh love, Molly lives to mollycoddle the children. She sees them as little ones rather than the young adults they are. You made the right call darling." He said pulling her closer. "Do be careful love. Take care and watch yourself. I couldn't bear it if-"

"Albus don't worry. I will guard this child with my life." She replied, caressing his cheek gently.

"I know you will but bandits aren't the noblest of fighters so it is imperative that everyone take extra precautions."

She kissed him once more before promising to be even more vigilant. Together, they walked into the fireplace, bracing themselves for the ghastly images they knew were awaiting them.

~*~*~*~*~*~

But no amount of bracing could prepare them for the sight that greeted them. As deputy to the headmaster, Minerva had often accompanied Albus to meetings in Madame Maxime's office, and therefore had seen Beauxbatons at the peak of its beauty. Although it would never top Hogwarts, of course.

But still. The damage the bandits had managed to inflict upon the school was enough to make her heart freeze in its steps. Rubble littered the halls, a result of the many explosions bombarding the school and the flames scattering everywhere. Statues were shattered, nothing more then fragments and portraits were inexistent, nothing more than bits and pieces consumed by the dying embers.

Minerva quickly scanned the area. All the Order Members were engaged in their own duels, against at least three bandits each. Albus rushed over to assist Kingsley, who was fighting six bandits. Just as Minerva was about to go and aid them, she was struck by a vision.

Two bandits stared at the gargoyles guarding the Headmistresses office, dumbfounded. They waved their wands stupidly, muttering nonsense incantations. They froze immediately in their steps, shivering slightly when a cloaked woman made her way towards them.

"_You idiots still haven't figured out how to open the office yet?" a cold, distinctly feminine voice rang out._

_The bandits exchanged nervous glances. "I'm so sorry your greatness. We-We tried everything but the gargoyles wouldn't budge. A password seems to be the only thing that'll work."_

_The witch nodded. "I see." She stared thoughtfully at the gargoyles before turning back to the bandits. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go find the giantess!"_

_The bandit's eyes widened, but before they could protest, the witch held her hand up, silencing them. She walked over to a nearby statue, pulling out a fidgeting figure with a flick of her hand._

_The bandits exchanged looks of glee before pouncing on the figure. "Looky looky, if it isn't the esteemed potions teacher. All right, you bloody prick. How's about you tell us the password and we'll consider giving you a quick, nearly painless death?" _

"_Never!" exclaimed the professor. Although he was severely injured himself, he still attempted to fight them off, quite successfully for the two bandits were beginning to struggle to hold him down._

_The witch stared at the struggling figures before her, quite amused. She withdrew an athemay from her robes, staring thoughtfully at it. "You know, I've had this flaming athemay for a while now but I've never had the chance to use it." She bent down to meet the professor's eyes. "One last chance, Professor. Give me the password!"_

"_Go to hell!" he spat out._

_The witch smirked. "After you, love!" She thrust the athemay into his chest, dissolving into a fit of giggle as she watched the monstrous flames consume the professor, devouring his flesh and listened to his piercing shrieks of agony, which sounded like the sweetest music to her._

She turned to the other two who stared at her with intense awe and admiration. "Find the giantess!" she ordered as they immediately scampered off to fulfill their leader's wishes.


	8. Chapter 8

~Chapter 8~

Minerva blinked several times as she blanked out of her vision. She was no longer staring at the front of the Headmistresses office but the middle of the battlefield with a worried Albus standing before her, cupping her face in both hands.

"Minerva, love, please say something." He pleaded with her.

"Olympe!" Minerva exclaimed as she turned towards the center of the hall where the headmistress was heroically battling four bandits at once. At the corner of her eye, she spotted the two bandits she had seen in her vision mere second ago heading towards Madame Maxime, their leader a few feet behind them, seemingly oblivious to the struggling and battling around her, walking as though she was taking a stroll down the park.

Breaking free from Albus's grasp Minerva raced down the hall towards Madame Maxime in an effort to aid her. The half-giantess was clearly exhausted and looked as though a mere stunner would suffice to bring her down. For good.

Ron and Harry had noticed the cloaked witch heading towards the Beauxbatons professor and cried out to her. "Madame Maxime! Look out!"

Madame Maxime turned to spot the witch coming closer and closer and ran as fast as she could up the staircase. The witch, noticing her prey flee immediately followed, unaware that Minerva was right behind her with her wand drawn.

"Filthy giantess, can't even stand and fight honorably. Coward!"

Madame Maxime halted in her steps. "Coward? _Coward?_ Moi? 'Ow dare you!" She blasted a spell towards the younger witch, who deflected it effortlessly,

The witch circled around Madame Maxime like a vulture, deflecting each and every hex with a mere wave of her hand until Madame Maxime was completely out of breath, on the verge of passing out from exhaustion, at the witch's mercy. With a wave of her hand, she entrapped Madame Maxime in rope-like streams of silver, preventing her from escaping.

"I'll ask you again nicely. What is the damn password?"

"You'll have to kill me first." Madame Maxime exclaimed.

The witch nodded. "That can be arranged." She withdrew the athemay she had so recently used and caressed it with her long, slender fingers. "You know, I have to say. I'm not a big fan of athemays, they do seem to easy on victims, but I'm growing quite fond of this one. The flames make a lovely touch and add a nice thrill to it."

She dragged the athemay across Madame Maxime's terrified face. Not deep enough to cut it, but enough to send shivers of fear down the spine. "Say goodbye you filthy halfblood." She whispered with a smirk. But before she could strike, Minerva waved her wand, sending her flying across the room causing the cloak to fall and her face to be revealed.

Although Minerva knew just who was under the cloak, the knowledge that Viper, the dark lord's rival was merely a few feet away was still quite a nerve-wracking thought.

But instead of the furious, deadly expression Minerva expected Viper to bear, it was quite the opposite. When Viper recovered and sat upright, her face was indeed one of fury, but when she realized who it was that stood before her, her expression when ninety degrees into one of surprise and, if Minerva wasn't mistaken, one of slight fear and panic. But before Minerva could analyze the situation any further a gang of bandits appeared.

When the pack saw their leader on the ground and Minerva opposite her with her wand drawn it didn't take them long to add two and two together. With a speed that startled Minerva all five of them chanted the same spell, sending a deadly hex Minerva's way.

That was when the unexpected happened. Instead of watching with glee at another foe dying a most painful, gruesome death, Viper leapt from the ground and shoved Minerva out of harm's way, taking the hex to her own shoulder and sending them both unto the ground hard.

To say Minerva was stunned was an understatement. Coherent speech was impossible for her as she starred at the young witch toppled over her panting, with a frightening amount of blood cascading down her arm from her newly acquired wound.

Viper glared at Minerva before leaning in closely. "Take heed, you fool. That isn't some filthy mudblood you carry." She hissed as her eyes darted briefly to Minerva's abdomen.

Minerva's eyes widened as her hands instinctively covered her abdomen. "H-How did you know-"

But before Viper could reply, a white flash filled the room revealing two figures.


End file.
